Tag: Fruit

Lemon blueberry cupcakes

Natalie Hanson

Recipe by Mary Lapp.

3 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut

Zest of one lemon

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  • Line 8 muffin cups with liners.
  • Place the unsweetened coconut in a food processor, and process for 5 minutes.
  • Let the food processor rest for 5 minutes, so it doesn’t overheat.
  • Scrape if necessary, and turn back on for 5 minutes, or until it is liquidy and you can hear it splash.
  • Add the zest, lemon juice, maple syrup and sea salt. Process until it comes together.
  • Add the baking soda, and process just until incorporated.
  • Divide batter into 8 muffin cups. Top with 1 Tbsp of frozen blueberries on each cupcake.
  • Bake for 25-27 minutes. You want them to be a little toasty.
  • Chill before you serve for best consistency – although they are really good any way!

Crêpes aux pommes dorin

Natalie Hanson

Batter for about 20 small crêpes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp of oil
2 cups of milk
1 Tbsp Applejack or Calvados

For the filling

6 Tbsp of unsalted butter
4 lb tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
8 Tbsp of sugar
6 Tbsp light cream
6 Tbsp of Applejack or Calvados

To finish

Sugar
6 Tbsp of Calvados

  • For the batter, put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the center, and add the egg, egg yolk and oil.
  • Mix in half of the milk, drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the rest of the milk and the Calvados and mix well.
  • Let rest for 2 hours.
  • For the filling, melt the butter in a thick pan and cook the apples, stirring all the time, until they are soft but not puréed.
  • Stir in the sugar, cream and Calvados.
  • Lightly oil a pan and heat until hot.
  • Cover the pan with a thin layer of batter and cook until brown.
  • Turn over and cook the other side. Remove and keep hot.
  • Do the rest of the batter in the same way.
  • Place a crêpe in the bottom of a hot fireproof dish, spread with some of the apple mixture and cover with another crêpe.
  • Continue in this way sandwiching the apple mixture between each crêpe and finishing with a crêpe on top.
  • Keep everything hot.
  • Dust thickly with the sugar, heat the remaining Calvados and flame the crêpes with this.
  • Serve at once, cutting the crêpes into wedges.

Tarte Tatin aux pommes

Natalie Hanson

8 to 10 servings. This pie is best served at room temperature with a dab of crème fraîche.

Pâte brisée

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 stick of frozen unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup of chilled water
1/4 tsp of salt
1 Tbsp of sugar
1 egg lightly beaten

  • Place water and butter in a food processor.
  • Process until mixture resembles cornmeal.
  • With motor on, add the water mixed with the sugar, salt and egg yolk.
  • Process until the dough begins to gather into a ball. Do not over process.
  • Shape into a ball and cover dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
  • Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 13-inch round and chill in the refrigerator.

Filling

8 granny smith apples (peeled and quartered)
3/4 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp of butter

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Put 2 Tbsp of butter in a heavy 12 inch round fireproof pan, melt and add half the sugar along with 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water for moisture.
  • Cook gently until it bubbles. Turn off the heat.
  • Tightly arrange the quartered pieces of apples on the pan. Fill any spaces with pieces of apple.
  • Cook, covered for 10 minutes until the apples have softened.
  • Uncover and cook until the apples start to caramelize – about 15 minutes.
  • Cut the remaining butter over the apples and sprinkle the rest of the sugar as well.
  • Gently lay the pâte brisée over the apples so that it falls on the side.
  • Prick the top evenly with a fork to let the steam escape.
  • Cook in preheated oven for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 350°F and cook for another 1/2 hour or until the crust is golden.
  • Let the pie cool. But warm up the pan before unmolding the pie on a serving plate. Move the pie back and forth gently to make sure it does not stick.

Tarte Tatin aux poires

Natalie Hanson

To serve 8 to 10.

This is a pear filled version of the popular Tarte Tatin, an upside-down apple pie. It consists of well caramelized pears and a layer of thin pastry. The pears should remain in huge chunks, making for an honest, rustic tart. The clear glass baking dish allows you to see if any pears are sticking as you turn out the tart.

6 Tbsp of unsalted butter
7 to 8 pears (about 2 1/2 lbs) peeled, quartered and cored
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pâte brisée
1 cup of crème fraîche or sour cream

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Melt the butter in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the pears and sugar.
  • Cook for about 20 minutes stirring carefully to avoid sticking.
  • Increase the heat to high and cook until the pears are golden brown.
  • Literally pile the pears into an unbuttered round 10 1/2 inch clear glass baking dish.
  • Roll out the pâte brisée slightly larger than the dish.
  • Place the pastry on top of the pears, tucking a bit of the dough around the edges and down into the dish.
  • Place the tart in the center of the oven and bake until the pears bubble and the pastry is a deep, golden brown – about 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Remove the pie from the oven and place a large, flat heatproof serving platter topside down on top of the baking dish. Invert the pan and give the bottom a firm tap to release any pears that may be sticking.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with some crème fraîche to spoon over the tart.

Tarte aux raisins

Natalie Hanson

Although it takes a long time to prepare the puff pastry, the pie itself is quick and easy to make. Once shaped, the crust can be frozen. Bake the tart just before eating for the best results.

Puff pastry with 4 turns
1 lb of white and black grapes, washed, dried and cut in half
1 egg yolk

Cream

1 1/4 cups of milk
3 eggs
1/3 generous cup of sugar
2 small Tbsp of flour
2 Tbsp of powdered hazelnuts
1 tsp of vanilla

  • Sprinkle flour on a pastry surface and rolling pin.
  • Roll out the puff pastry to a 17×14 rectangle.
  • Trim evenly around all 4 edges with a knife using a ruler to guide you.
  • Freeze for 20 minutes to firm up the dough.

Prepare the filling

  • Pulverize the shelled hazelnuts in the food processor.
  • In a saucepan, boil the milk and add the vanilla.
  • Separate the eggs.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow.
  • Add the flour and the hazelnuts.
  • Pour the boiled milk on the egg yolks mixture and mix well.
  • Pour back in the saucepan and cook on a medium heat until it thickens. Let cool.
  • Beat one egg white and fold in the cream.

Tart shell

  • Roll out the dough into a 11″ square.
  • Cut four 3/4″ wide strips and 11″ long.
  • Brush cold water around the edges of the 11″ square dough and stick the strips to all sides overlapping on the corners.
  • Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over. Refrigerate.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F
  • Line the inside of the shell with foil and add some weight to keep the dough from bubbling. Be careful not to touch the sides so they can rise freely, but get very close to it.
  • Brush milk on top of the strips.
  • Bake on middle shelf of the oven for 15 minutes.

Tarte aux pommes

Natalie Hanson

Pate sucrée

For 2 galettes – 10 1/2 inch pie pans.

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 sticks of sweet butter, softened
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 egg & 1 egg yolk beaten
1 cup of roasted pecan (ground in food processor)

  • Combine the ingredients in a bowl and work until you can form a ball that holds together.
  • Place on the table and smear the mixture with the palm of your hand a few times.
  • Divide into 2 pieces. Reserve one piece and refrigerate.
  • Roll the other into a 12 inch round about 1/4 inch thick. It helps to roll the dough on a plastic sheet that provides good support when the dough is lifted around the rolling pin, ten unrolled into the pie shell. This step can be tricky when the dough is too soft since it breaks easily. Either refrigerate it for a while or simply press the dough in the pie pan by hand.
  • Make a border about 1/2 inch high (thicker at the base for preventing border from collapsing during cooking).
  • Cut off any dough above that and reserve with the other half of the dough in the refrigerator for another pie.
  • Refrigerate until firm while preheating the oven at 400°F.
  • Cook for 12 to 15 min.

Apple sauce

6 Macintosh apples
Cinnamon, sugar
2 Tbsp of butter

  • Cook the apples, uncovered, on high heat until all liquid is evaporated and the apples are slightly caramelized. Leave the apples chunky if you like.
  • Add the sugar toward the end of the cooking.
  • Mix in the butter.

To assemble the pie

Pate brisée for a 10 inch ring mold (precooked)
4 or 5 good size apples (I prefer Granny Smith)
3 Tbsp of sugar
Apricot jam for glazing (strained: boil the jam and pass it through a fine sieve)

  • Quarter the apples. Core and peel them. Cut each quarter into 4 or 5 slices.
  • Cover the bottom of the pie shell with a thin layer of apple sauce.
  • Arrange the sliced apples like a deck of cards on top of the apple sauce. Make the center of the pie like the petals of a rose.
  • Sprinkle the sugar on the apples.
  • Bake in 400°F preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the edges of the apple slices get slightly brown.
  • Glaze immediately with the strained apricot jam (and diluted with cognac if desired).

Tarte aux poires

Natalie Hanson

Pate brisée

1 1/2 cup of flour
1 stick of chilled butter cut into pieces
3 Tbsp of Crisco
1/2 tsp. of salt, pinch of sugar in 1/3 cup of iced water (for sweet dough 1 tsp of sugar, pinch of salt)

  • Place flour, butter and Crisco in a large mixing bowl. Rub flour and Crisco together until it resembles coarse meal.
  • Pour water in flour and blend. All the steps above can be done at once in a food processor.
  • Then do a final blending with the heal of the hand on board or marble (fraisée).
  • Press into a small ball, sprinkle with flour and let rest for at least two hours.
  • Roll the dough. Gently press it in a pan to avoid air bubbles. Cover with foil and spread some weight on it.
  • Precook for 8 to 10 minutes at 450°F

Tarte

8 Barlett or Bosc pears, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of crystalized ginger
3 Tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tsp of grated lemon ring
1/2 tsp of cinnamon

  • Mix together all ingredients except the pears.
  • Make the egg wash (1 egg and a bit of water).
  • Roll out the dough. Make the bottom part a little higher on the side than the pan. Cut the top a little wider than the size of the pie. Refrigerate.
  • Prepare the mix and blend in the pears to coat them thoroughly.
  • Arrange the pears in the shell. Spread the remaining mix over them.
  • Dot with 2 Tbsp of butter.
  • Cover with the top of the dough and seal the edges with a little bit of water on the dough.
  • Egg wash the top.
  • Decorate with the teeth of a fork.
  • Slit the dough for the steam to escape.
  • Cook at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce to 375°F and cook for another 40 minutes or until brown.

Tarte au framboises

Natalie Hanson

This is a easy tart to prepare and can be made several hours ahead to serve later in the day. Blueberries can also be used. To serve 8.

3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup of crème fraîche
3 Tbsp of sugar
1 pâte sablée shell, prebaked
1 pint of fresh raspberries
2 Tbsp of confectioners’ sugar

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat with a fork.
  • Add the crème fraîche and the sugar mix until well blended.
  • Pour the mixture into the cooled pastry shell.
  • Carefully arrange the berries in a single layer on top of the cream.
  • Place in the center of the oven and bake until the cream filling begins to set, about 15 minutes.
  • Sprinkle evenly with the confectioners’ sugar.
  • Allow to cool thoroughly before serving.

Pate sucrée

For 2 galettes – 10 1/2 inch pie pans.

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 sticks of sweet butter, softened
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 egg & 1 egg yolk beaten
1 cup of roasted pecan (ground in food processor)

  • Combine the ingredients in a bowl and work until you can form a ball that holds
  • together.
  • Place on the table and smear the mixture with the palm of your hand a few times.
  • Divide into 2 pieces. Reserve one piece and refrigerate.
  • Roll the other into a 12 inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
  • It helps to roll the dough on a plastic sheet that provides good support when the dough is lifted around the rolling pin, then unrolled into the pie shell. This step can be tricky when the dough is too soft since it breaks easily.
  • Either refrigerate it for a while or simply press the dough in the pie pan by hand.
  • Make a border about 1/2 inch high (thicker at the base for preventing border from collapsing during cooking).
  • Cut off any dough above that and reserve with the other half of the dough in the refrigerator for another pie.
  • Refrigerate until firm while preheating the oven at 400°F.
  • Cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
  • For a different dessert cook the shell entirely for about 25 minutes.
  • Fill with crème patissière and top with fresh berries.

Tarte au fruit à l’alsacienne

Natalie Hanson

To serve 6.

Pâte brisée
1 lb of plums, apricots or cherries
1/4 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of water
1 egg
4 Tbsp of heavy cream
1 Tbsp of confectioner’s sugar, sifted

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Roll out the pâte brisée on a lightly floured surface, line a 7 inch flan ring and prick the base well.
  • Bake blind for approximately 10 minutes or until pastry is dry and firm.
  • If using plums or apricots, halve the fruit and remove the pits.
  • For cherries, remove the pits by using a cherry pitter or by cutting in half.
  • Poach the fruit gently with the sugar and water until just tender.
  • Do not allow the fruit to break up.
  • Fill the pan with the poached fruit and bake for 5 minutes.
  • Mix the egg with the cream, pour this over the fruit and bake for a further 10 minutes.
  • Dust with the confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

Tarte amandine au fruit

Natalie Hanson

This tarte can be prepared with pears, peaches, cherries or the tiny yellow plums known as mirabelles.

1/4 cup whole unblanched almonds
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 Tbsp of granulated sugar
2 Tbsp of kirsch
3/4 cup of crème fraîche or heavy cream
2 lb of fruit
1 pâte brisée shell, pre-baked and cooled

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder.
  • Thoroughly blend the almonds with the egg, sugar, kirsch, and crème fraîche.
  • The mixture should be very smooth.
  • Peel and core the pears or peaches and cut into 8 even slices.
  • If the peaches do not peel easily, drop them in boiling water for 10 seconds. Be careful not to bruise the flesh.
  • Don’t peel the apricots, but blanching them enhances their color.
  • Arrange the fruit in the pre-baked tart shell, beginning at the outside edge.
  • Slowly pour the cream filling over the fruit.
  • Place the tart in the center of the oven and bake until the filling has set and the tart shell is nicely browned, about 45 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche as an accompaniment.